


Us Against the World

by Karasuno Volleygays (ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor)



Series: Sportsfest 2018 [34]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Post Interhigh, That time when Akaashi needs Bokuto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 18:03:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15954647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor/pseuds/Karasuno%20Volleygays
Summary: For as long as he was on the team, Akaashi had accepted the task of keeping their tumultuous ace's moods from slipping too low, but the one time he needed someone to do that for him, he didn't have to ask. Bokuto was there.





	Us Against the World

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Sportsfest 2018 bonus round 2.

“Where’s Bokuto?” Konoha asked when their usually boisterous captain was nowhere to be found after a crushing loss in the Interhigh tournament. 

Akaashi knew right where to find Bokuto, but he answered with a noncommittal, “Not sure. I’ll go look for him.”

With that, Akaashi slipped out of the locker room, hoping the time it took to ‘look’ for Bokuto would be enough to will him back to his former self — for all their sakes. His target was exactly where Akaashi thought he would be: in the stairwell to the roof of the building where no one would look for him or find him accidentally. 

He sat down next to Bokuto, whose red crumpled face streaked with ugly tears rested atop his knees. Bokuto didn’t look over at Akaashi, but he did budge over a hair to make room. 

“The guys are worried about you,” Akaashi said bluntly. “I told them I’d look for you.”

“Yeah.” Bokuto’s voice was far too diminutive for Akaashi’s liking.

Akaashi reached down between them and covered Bokuto’s limp hand with his own. “Coach says we can watch video as soon as tomorrow. The network guy covering the match owed him a favor.”

“Yeah.” Bokuto was hoarse and devoid of expression, and Akaashi didn’t blame him. They had sweat and bled and cried together to make it to the Nationals; losing after all of that rankled. None of them liked to lose, but no one hated failing quite like their captain. 

No, that wasn’t quite right. Nobody hated feeling like he had let his team down like Bokuto did. 

Knowing any reassurances or platitudes would bounce off of his morose ace and maybe-sorta-kinda boyfriend, Akaashi opted for a direct approach. “In three sets, a third of my tosses to you weren’t as good as they could’ve or should’ve been. I missed three serves, botched two receives, and my blocking game was off all night.”

“Nah, your tosses were fine.” Bokuto shook his head and bumped his shoulder against Akaashi’s. “You didn’t send me a single toss I couldn’t get a piece of. You also had two aces, and everybody misses receives. Give yourself a break.”

“You first.” Akaashi pushed to his feet and looked over his shoulder at Bokuto’s slumped form. “If you want to sit here and pretend like we lost because of you, that’s fine. I’m going to go find the biggest plate of food ever and eat until I puke because that will make me feel a lot better than moping.”

He had no idea why he had said any of that. It wouldn’t help Bokuto regain his mental equilibrium at all. The only thing Akaashi derived from it was a petty flash of relief that he had said it at all, but it quickly soured in his gut and curdled uncomfortably in the back of his throat. “See you tomorrow,” Akaashi choked before he left.

Bokuto stared at him as he left the stairwell, and neither of them spoke to each other on the bus ride back to the school. That night, Akaashi never did get around to eating the huge swath of protein-rich foods his mother had left for him in the fridge. Instead, he scarfed down a couple of rice balls and went upstairs to drop face-first onto his bed

Nose buried deep into the recesses of his pillow, Akaashi’s fingers clenched the bedcovers tightly. It was one of the first times that Bokuto had needed him and he hadn’t known what to say. All he could think of was the gross feeling brewing inside of himself. It was his first trip to Nationals, and while it hopefully wasn’t his last, it could have been. 

What he’d said to Bokuto was correct in that respect, however; Akaashi knew he had played at a lower standard than he tried to uphold for his team, his ace, every day. He was the pulse of the team, and as the vice-captain and future captain, there was not a lot about his performance earlier he was proud of.

Akaashi jumped when he heard something clack against his window. Whipping his head around to look, he couldn’t quite fight off a smile when he saw that it was Bokuto outside his window, one arm wrapped around a tree while he waved.

Opening the window, Akaashi helped guide Bokuto inside, and they both landed in a graceless heap in the middle of the floor. Bokuto shot to his feet and dragged Akaashi along for the ride.  “Hey.”

“Hey.” Akaashi gave Bokuto a weak smile. “You know, my folks do like you. You can use the front door.”

Bokuto waved off his concern. “Nah, I wanted to make an entrance.” He grabbed Akaashi’s hand and tugged him toward the bed to sit. “I had to come over. It sounded like  _ you _ needed  _ me  _ for a change.”

Akaashi’s jaw dropped as he gaped at Bokuto. All he had done was rant at Bokuto for his completely normal reaction to a hard-fought loss, but he had somehow disseminated Akaashi’s tumultuous feelings. In almost an instant, his ill humor from before melted away. “Thank you, Bokuto-san, and I’m sorry I snapped at you. You’re right. I didn’t feel great about today.”

Bokuto leaned over and pecked a kiss to Akaashi’s cheek. “What am I good for if I can’t do something for you that you’ve done for me a hundred times over?

His fingers shaking as they brushed over the spot where Bokuto’s lips had touched his skin, Akaashi’s heart pounded in his chest and everything around them tuned out except for the guy in front of him. 

Yeah, they were a ‘thing’, but the most they had done was let their hands find each other or linger after practice just to leave together. The air between them was not the same as those times at all.

“You’re a special guy, Keiji.” Bokuto reached up and traced a thumb down the line of Akaashi’s jaw. 

Whether it was the sound of his given name being murmured so softly or the unfamiliar touch, Akaashi didn’t know, but it made him shiver. “You are one hell of a player who played one hell of a game, and sometimes it’s insane just to look over at you and know how much you do for me. So what can I do for you to make you realize I wouldn’t be where I am without you?”

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi breathed, his eyes glued on Bokuto’s. “Does your mom know you’re out?”

Bokuto snickered. “Yeah, she does. I told her I wanted to sulk with someone who understands my deep and abiding pain, and she couldn’t kick me out the door fast enough.”

Akaashi couldn’t stifle a laugh. “Well, I appreciate it.” He sent a meaningful glance at his bedroom door. “My parents are out of town, so if you wanted to stay . . .” His face flushed deep scarlet. “So?”

The answer he expected did not come. Instead, Bokuto listed forward and snared Akaashi’s lips in a kiss. It was warm, wet, and clumsy, and Akaashi loved everything about it. 

Breathless and humming from head to toe with delight, Akaashi stroked Bokuto’s cheek and murmured, “Thank you for coming. I didn’t know I needed it until you showed up.”

Leaning into Akaashi’s touch, Bokuto gave him a broad smile. “Anything for the best guy I know.”

No more words necessary, the two of them curled into each other fully clothed and utterly unconcerned about it. The feeling of Bokuto’s arm draped over his waist gave Akaashi a sense of peace he had never associated with Bokuto before. Yet since it had come, he didn’t think he’d ever forget it.

Right before he drifted off, Akaashi heard Bokuto say, “We’re gonna kick so much ass at the Spring High. You and me, Keiji. You and me.”

“Yeah.” And Akaashi knew it was true and couldn’t wait to get there.


End file.
